Small Projects Grants 2009

1. The Medieval Studies Program at Wilfrid Laurier University led by Dr. Chris Nighman was selected as the first recipient of a small projects grant for their “MedSTEP” project (Medieval Students’ Teaching Experience Program), which supports third and fourth year Medieval Studies students to develop learning modules to work with local high school students. THEN/HiER funds supported supply teacher replacements for three participating teachers, a lunch, and round-trip bus transportation to allow 84 Waterloo high school students to attend the 2009 MedSTEP event at Laurier. Read the final report.

2. The Alberta Social Studies Teacher Education Resource Online (ASTERO) project is led by Dr. Kent den Heyer, University of Alberta, who will be developing and maintaining an interactive, collaborative online social studies and history education resource. This website will support social studies teacher education students at the University of Alberta and, concurrently, encourage deeper partnership and dialogue among practicing teachers, teacher educators and academics working in the field of social studies and history education. THEN/HiER funding will help pay for two graduate student assistants to develop, update, and revise the website.

3. The purpose of the Alberta-based Benchmarks of Historical Thinking Working Group led by Dr. Carla Peck, University of Alberta, is to assist with the dissemination of curriculum materials developed by teachers working on a Benchmarks of Historical Thinking Project in Alberta. THEN/HiER funds are to pay for a graduate student assistant or teacher to edit teacher-generated tasks and lesson plans to ensure that they are consistent with the principles and goals of the Benchmarks of Historical Thinking Project.

4. The Virtual National Council of History Teachers led by Mr. Michael Clare, a History Education Consultant in Ontario, will draw together the presidents of each provincial social studies teachers’ organization around a skill(s)-based common agenda. Physically bringing the provincial presidents together, although desirable, is fiscally prohibitive, so the meetings will be conducted through a videoconference series, enabling the presidents to meet each other and the members of THEN/HiER to discuss their common goals. THEN/HiER will cover the costs of webcam and microphone units and some administrative time devoted to coordinating the meetings.

5. In Horses, Horsepower, and Horsing Around, led by Ms. Rosaleen Ward, Museum Manager, Hudson’s Hope Historical Society Museum in BC, the project team aims to develop history education and research resource components to expand the scope of the museum’s exhibit “Our Hudson’s Hope Cowboys: Packers on the Trail” based on the 1934 Charles Bedaux Expedition. Wealthy Frenchman Charles Bedaux was captivated with the country surrounding Hudson’s Hope after embarking on a hunting trip in 1932. His attempt two years later to take five motorized vehicles across the northern wilderness of British Columbia, known as the “Champagne Safari,” ended in failure but left a lasting impression on the lives of many people in the Peace River area. The materials will be geared towards students, historians and genealogists. THEN/HiER funds will partially cover the education program development, including interpretive panels and technical design.